Rose's Drums
by PrewettSong
Summary: (Set in SotD) Rose Tyler has been placed on the Valiant to keep an eye on the alien procedures for Torchwood. When things go awry and she tries to help, getting caught by the Master in the process, what will happen to her and the Doctor? 10/Rose T for torture.
1. Chapter 1

A bell rang from somewhere outside the barracks, and the room came to life. Soldiers rolled out of the beds and threw on their uniforms before heading to the mess hall where a meager selection of tough food waited to be eaten.

Rose Tyler adjusted her uniform before tying her blond hair back and shoving the standard red cap onto her head. Her hazel eyes were devoid of any make up, and they had been for months even before signing up to keep an eye on the _Valiant _for Torchwood.

"Ready?" asked a man's voice as she stooped to tie her issued black boots. She turned her head up to give the man her signature tongue in teeth grin as she finished one foot and moved to the other.

"Just about, what about you?" He nodded and grinned back. Her companion was an average-looking man, and looked the part of a soldier to the letter. His dirty blond hair was so short it almost looked buzzed; he had green-blue eyes, a nice smile, and an ever-so-light dusting of freckles across his nose. He tossed her a green apple and a couple strips of jerky as she straightened up. "Grabbed you some food in case there was none left by the time you got there. I swear some of those guys could eat a mountain!"

Rose chuckled and dug her teeth into the apple, taking her weapon down off the wall and slinging it over her shoulder as they exited the barracks. "I take it you've eaten already, then?" He nodded.

"Unlike some people, I don't sleep late," he teased. Rose elbowed him, rolling her eyes and taking another bite before speaking.

"Right, because four in the morning is sooo late. How do you even get up earlier than that, Trent? I swear you're insane!" Trent laughed and gave wrapped an arm around her, shaking her lightly.

"Anyone remotely interesting is mad in some way or another, Rose." Out of the corner of her eye, Rose gave him a sly look.

"Are you implying that you're interesting?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Are you implying that I'm not?" She bit her lip to hide a grin, but didn't answer. "Well? Are you?" Trent pressed.

"I would answer that, but I don't want to damage your ego."

"Oi! Come on, I can take it!" Rose shrugged.

"Compared to some men I've met, you could be more 'interesting' for sure." She saw Trent's indignant face and burst out laughing. She was forced to stop and lean against the wall for a few minutes, burying her face in her hands to try and contain herself.

"I'll have you know," Trent said after she had reduced her laughter to the occasional giggle, "that I am _very _interesting to some women! Just because you have higher standards in interest because you met a _time traveler _doesn't mean I'm boring!"

Rose started to laugh again, happy tears leaking from the corner of her eye when she heard how indignant he was. When she saw his facial expression upon hearing her reaction, she laughed even harder, her whole body shaking.

"Stop laughing!" Trent pouted, making her laugh all the harder. "Stop it, you're hurting my feelings!" When Rose continued to laugh he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. By this time she was curled up on the floor and holding her ribs, her military issue gun lying by the wall. After a while, Trent looked at his watch and yelped.

"Blimey, Rose, we've got to get going! They're on air in an hour!" This quieted Rose down considerably, gathering up her weapon and the rest of her breakfast and eating it quickly. She started down the hallway before Trent's voice made her stop.

"Well, now I know how to get you moving." She turned around, confused, and now it was his turn to hold back a grin.

"What do you mean?" she asked her tone full of bewilderment. Trent chuckled.

"We woke up at four in the morning, Rose. I know it's hard to believe, but you haven't been laughing for three hours." Rose glared at him.

"One day, Trent, one day I am going to get you." After that, they both headed up the hallway.

Rose stood with her feet shoulder length apart on one side of the main stairs that led to the balcony. She held her gun across her chest in a relaxed but ready position. Trent stood the same way on the other side of the stairs.

Across the hall the door opened to admit the first guests, and Rose examined them subtly. The man seemed to have an air of mock seriousness about him, and as soon as they were in he proceeded to mock the President. He was brushed off and made his way to the leather seats around the table with his plus one, possibly his wife.

"All armed personnel will exit the room," Winters stated with that clipped tone he seemed to use for anything and everything. Rose walked out the door, passing three casually dressed guests on the way out. She felt Trent leaning over her shoulder.

"Guard the doors," he breathed, and she gave an imperceptible nod. They placed themselves in the shadows, slipping small chains holding perceptive filters around their necks as they did so. No untrained eyes would notice they were there, and the only trained eyes Torchwood knew of were in their facilities.

Every now and then, Rose caught words from the President's speech. Soon he finished, and she heard the faint buzzing noise that announced the arrival of the Toclafane.

"Where's… Master?" Rose frowned at the child-like voice of the Toclafane. What the hell was a master?

"…adopt mastery… God's will."

"Stupid… Master is our friend!" Rose shifted her gun slightly, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Trent do the same. She moved closer to the door so as to hear better.

".. is it my capacity to laugh at myself? I dunno, it's crazy!" She frowned. What was Saxon going on about? Evidently the president shared her thoughts as well.

"Saxon, what are you talking about?" The president demanded. Rose opened the door a crack and peeked through. Saxon had his back to the door, and the president stood on the balcony, the Toclafane hovering about him.

"I'm taking over, Uncle Sam," Saxon stated, his voice cold. "Starting with you. Kill him." He directed the last comment at one of the Toclafane, and it immediately obliged, swooping forward and hitting the president in the chest with a red beam of light. With a cry of shock and pain, the president was reduced to fluttering ashes.

"We need to get in there," Trent hissed into her ear. He had come to stand behind her sometime during the exchange, and she opened the door and slipped inside with him following behind.

Saxon, or apparently the Master, Stood in the same place as a dead man had not two minutes before. "Now then!" He cried, and he had the air of one who was immensely enjoying a trick he had played on a friend. "People of the Earth, listen carefully! STOP HIM!" A man had rushed forward and was now restrained by two men. Rose gasped.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"Rose? Rose, what is it?" Trent asked urgently, but Rose couldn't find the words to reply.

"We meet again, Doctor." The master laughed to himself. "I love saying that!"

"Rose, are you alright?" Trent's whispered voice in her ear meant nothing.

"It's him," Rose whispered.

"Stop this! Stop it NOW!" the Doctor cried, and Rose felt her breath catch.

"Rose, I think he can see us…" Trent whispered, and an edge of uneasiness was in his voice.

"As if perception filters were going to work on me," the Master scoffed. His gaze landed on Jack Harkness and a dark young woman Rose didn't know. "And look, it's the freak and the girly. Though I'm not sure which is which," he mused and Jack rushed forward, only to be shot down by a beam of light from something in the Master's hands.

"Laser screwdriver," he explained to the Doctor. "Who'd have sonic? And the best part is he won't stay dead! I get to kill him again!" He sounded positively joyful. The dark woman was bent over Jack' body, and sure enough, he was showing signs of life.

"Master, just calm down," the Doctor pleaded, and Rose bit her lip. She had never seen the Doctor beg for anything, and she didn't want to. "If you could see yourself…" However the Master was ignoring him.

"Oh do excuse me, just a bit of personal business," he said to the camera, addressing the population. "Back in a minute. Let him go," he said to the guards, and the Doctor fell and caught himself on his hands before standing his knees once more.

"That drumming, that sound in your head, what if I could help?" the Doctor asked, trying to buy time for Jack, his dark companion, and the world.

"How to shut him up?" the Master asked himself, obviously weary of the Doctor's pleading. "I know!" He pointed his laser screwdriver at the Doctor's kneeling form and made to press the button, when several large bangs shook the air around them. The Master's head snapped around to look for the source of the noise, and when he saw it a manic grin spread across his face.

Rose's gun was pointed straight upwards, and there were a few small holes in the first layer of the ceiling. "Don't you dare hurt him," she said her voice low and menacing.

"Or what?" the Master asked, seeming genuinely curious. Rose didn't answer. The master looked at the Doctor, then back at her. "Do you know her?"

The Doctor had spun around at the sound of her voice, and she looked away from the Master for just a moment to see horror written across his face. The Master chuckled and crouched down beside him, looking between the kneeling Doctor and Rose.

"You _do _know each other!" He cried. He waved at a couple of nearby guards. "Bring her over here, boys, this could be good!"

Rose backed up until she hit a wall, and she lowered the gun barrel to chest height. "Go ahead and try," she snarled at them, and they approached her, confidently at first, until she shot one in the shoulder. After that little incident, they were a little more cautious.

"Trent, get out of here and inform Torchwood!" Rose yelled when she saw him hesitate, she lowered her guard for a split second to scream at him. "GET OUT!" A moment later there was a flash of blue and he was gone.

During all this, the Doctor had grabbed the dark woman and given her hurried whispered instructions. She held Jack's vortex manipulator in her hands and tears ran down her cheeks. Rose continually moved her gun between the three men advancing on her, keeping one eye on them and one on the Master. He was taunting the young woman.

"Ah, the would-be doctor," he crooned. "But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in! All the way from prison!" He gestured to the door, where two women and a man stood with their hands tied in front of them. They must be her family.

One of the men made a sudden lunge and grabbed one of her arms, and she fired a shot into the ground, it drew the attention of many of the room's occupants, and Jack echoed Rose's earlier cry. "Go! Get out of here, Martha! GO!" and she was gone.

Now they had the Master's attention all to themselves. By this time Rose had been restrained, and in the minor scuffle her cap had fallen to the floor and her uniform was askew. Tendrils of her hair framed her face, and she was bleeding from a small cut on her lip. She fought on for a short while, but fell into a sort of daze when on of them gave her a sharp punch to her chin, snapping her head back. She went limp. The two guards dragged her forward so that she was beside her Doctor, and he hurled himself towards her as she was released, cradling her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair, gently kissing her forehead and rocking her slightly. He was hauled back roughly and restrained by two guards as Rose fell to floor, just barely catching herself before her nose smashed into the ground.

"She's strong," the Master mused to himself. "It's quite impressive. You definitely choose the spunky ones, don't you, Doctor?" He started down the stairs from the balcony, jumping the last few stairs and kneeling on the same level as Rose. "I wonder…" he began, addressing himself. Then his hands shot forward and landed on each of her temples, and before Rose could try to push the unwelcome contact away her mind exploded.

Images, swirling colors and a multitude of sounds ravaged her mind, delving into the darkest corners and tormenting them. The Master forced images from the Time War into her head, the screams and cries of the helpless merging with the endless pounding of the drums of war. He showed her the fall of Arcadia, the burning of countless planets that were forever lost, fire and rage and hate and fear and cold and hot and wind and rain and thunder and lightning and turmoil…

Ever so faintly she could hear the Doctor screaming, screaming at the Master to stop, his voice just one more of countless others pleading for mercy, just another far off desperate cry for something else, anything, take him hurt him instead, _please,_ he was begging…

The Doctor's voice grew more and more prominent, the scenes from the Time War being shoved away by something else in her mind, something far stronger and more powerful that Rose didn't know.

It built walls, walls of bolted steel to keep out these images and sounds, freeing her mind from the Master's power. Suddenly the Master stopped pushing, and Rose could see what was actually happening around her once more.

The Doctor had been gagged with his own tie, but he still tried to cry around it, and his face was written over with the pain and anguish of someone who had seen terrible things, someone who had done terrible things. His eyes were wide and frightened, and his face was pale and a tear dripped slowly down one side of his face. He had stopped struggling for a moment, and the Master was grinning at him.

"I showed her the Time War," he said, standing up, and if was possible the Doctor looked more pained than before. "I showed her what you did. The burning, the cries and screams, the rage…" he trailed off, letting the Doctor's tortured mind envision the rest. The Master leaned in close before continuing to speak in a gleeful tone "And she pushed me out! Not her, herself," he gestured to Rose, "but the thing inside her! The Time Vortex is still in there somewhere Doctor, and I am going to have so much fun testing it. I'll even let you watch!" He straightened up and said to the guards, "Bring him up here, he can watch my children destroy his precious Earth."

The Doctor stubbornly refused to move, instead trying to make his way to Rose to see if she was alright. If anything happened to her here, it would be his fault, and he was not going to see her harmed on his account. When the Master took notice of his efforts, he rolled his eyes and pointed his laser screwdriver in her direction. He let out a beam and it caught Rose squarely in the chest.

Her reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes flew wide open and she fell to the floor, but she did not have the time to scream because the pain was gone as soon as it came. The Master glared at the Doctor reprovingly, keeping his toy trained on Rose. "Listen or she'll get more," he scolded, and the Doctor allowed himself to be hauled to his feet and marched up the stairs to stare out the window.

The Toclafane poured out of a jagged hole in the sky, swarming down to the Earth in droves. "Kill one-tenth of the population," the Master ordered, and the Toclafane flew to carry out his order.

"And so it came to pass that the human race fell…" the Master began, and he threw an arm around the Doctor's shoulders. "And the Earth was no more. And I looked down on my dominion and I thought it _good._"

The Doctor stared unseeingly at the swarms of Toclafane, the fires burning down below, the smoke filling the skies, the screams of the injured and the dying, and he felt his hearts break. He had sent the Master to this time period and in doing so had caused all this.

"Isn't it wonderful?" the Master whispered.

_A/N: So there it is, the first chapter of my very first Doctor Who fic. Please tell me what you think, and (as always) reviews are love!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Ummm…. Can I just say WOW. Thank you all so much, this is an amazing response to this story! I'm just sitting over here fangirling because I swear you guys are the best! 29 follows, 8 favorites and 9 reviews! Yay!_

_Now thanks to all who followed, favorited, and to my brilliant reviewers! I love you all and hope you like this chapter!_

Rose paced as far as the chain around her ankles would let her, back and forth along a wall in the lower corridors of the _Valiant_. When she had first been brought down she had tried her best to pry apart the cuffs that bound her with desperate fingers, and as a result, said fingers were sore and bloodied.

A ways down the hall was where Jack was chained up, and every now and then she would hear the sound of a gun butt hitting flesh and a gasp. She wasn't so close that she could see him, but she could hear the sounds of weapons and Jack's gasps. The Master had placed them close enough to hear each other, but in order to speak to one another they would have to shout, which would notify the guards. She heard another blow and another gasp and clenched her fists.

"Oi!" Rose yelled. "I think he's had enough for now! Just let him be!" The blows stopped, and she let out an inward sigh of relief. The sound of footsteps made their way towards her, and she straightened her shoulders, glaring at the place whoever it was would appear defiantly.

The Master appeared in her line of sight, grinning maliciously. "I wondered how long it would take you to intervene," he said conversationally. "Frankly I'm surprised it took you so long. Records say that you can hardly stand your friends being hurt."

Rose tensed. "What records?" she asked, dreading the answer. If he knew about Torchwood then the organization was already dead. Secrecy was one of their biggest weapons.

"Your little Torchwood friends are quite apt at writing profiles," the Master said. Rose's heart fell into her stomach, but she tried not to let it show. A brief flicker of emotion found its way onto her face, only for a second, but the Master noticed it.

"Oh don't worry, I won't be terminating them," he reassured. Then he paused to think for a moment. "At least not yet," he amended. Rose clenched her hands tighter, her fingernails digging into her palm.

"Leave them alone," she growled. The Master raised his eyebrows and laughed.

"I hardly think you're in any position to be ordering me around," he said. "But I haven't just come here to make you mad, although it is entertaining. I have another purpose in mind." He stepped closer, and Rose stepped back on instinct. "I've been thinking that we should have little 'history lessons', as it were," he continued, stepping closer once more. Rose tried to step back again and hit the wall. The Master was so close by now that she was effectively trapped.

"History lessons?" she asked, trying to keep her voice on a level tone. It was unsettling, having the Master this close. His gaze flickered between her eyes, searching for something. He rested his hands on her temples and nodded, his breath fluttering across her face.

"Oh yes," he said, "I'm going to teach you all about the Time War, and the part your beloved Doctor had to play in it. We'll see how you feel about him after our lessons are over and done." And then he forced the Time War into her head once again.

At first glance, anyone would have thought the Doctor was asleep. He sat on the floor of the main hall on the _Valiant_, not too far away from where the U.S. President had been terminated. His hands were cuffed around the metal bars and behind his back, and his chin rested on his chest. His eyes were closed and he took slow, deep breaths. But he was not asleep.

His mind was working, trying to integrate its way into the Archangel Network. It was a strong system, designed to keep him out, but with time he could do it. He had to, or else his plan wouldn't work and Martha was on a wild goose chase.

His work was interrupted when the Master burst through the door. "Hello!" he said cheerfully, dropping down to the Doctor's level. "I've come to get you for a real treat!" He undid one of the cuffs around the Doctor's wrists and the Doctor decided to give it a go.

He jumped to his feet and ran for the door, spinning around the doorframe and taking the hall to his left. He heard the Master's cry of surprise and a hiss as a beam from the laser screwdriver scorched the wall across from the door. He heard the pounding of the guard's feet behind him and ran even faster.

"Move out of the way!" he heard the Master shout, and then all he could feel was pain. It ripped through every fiber of his being, setting fire to every cell. If his nerves could have screamed, than they would have; as it was, he did the job for them.

After about a minute the pain stopped, and the Doctor gasped for breath. His body felt raw, the skin rubbing against the fabric of his pin-striped suit painfully. He closed his eyes and took deep, shuddering breaths as the Master walked towards them.

"Now, now," he chided, squatting by the Doctor's head, "that wasn't a very smart thing to do, Doctor, because I'm trying to be a nice person, I really am, but sometimes you can make it very… difficult." He stood and pointed his device at the Doctor again.

With another press of a button pain ravaged the Doctor's body once more. His whole body tensed, his jaw tightening, his hands clenched into fists so tight that his fingernails dug into his palms and left small bloody crescents. His head thrashed from side to side and his body curled in on itself as he did his best not to scream.

"_Hghnn_…" a pained moan slipped through his clenched teeth. He couldn't keep it in for much longer. _"Rrrgh…gahh…_" he would only be able to do this for ten seconds maximum. Nine…eight… seven…

The pain stopped and he sucked in a breath, keeping his eyes closed. He didn't want to see the Master's mad grin or the faces of the guards. He didn't want any of them to see him either if it could be helped.

"Come along, Doctor," the Master said. "You don't want your little blond friend to have to face my little test on her own now, do you?" the Doctor struggled to his feet. His limbs felt weak after the excruciating beating his nerves had taken. He shook a little on his feet but was able to follow the Master down the hallway with a guard on either side of him, making sure he didn't try anything else.

They entered a fairly empty room with metal grating for a floor. The wall across from the door was made of glass, a window that looked down on a large metal room with the floor on the level below. Attached to the ceiling of this other room was a large metal claw like you might see in an arcade, where you put in some change and try to grab a prize. As the Doctor watched, a door opened below and a girl blond hair was shoved in. Rose.

The Doctor tried to rush forward, tried to press himself against the window and call to her, but as soon as he made a move the guards grabbed his arms and held him back. He was dragged to the wall on the right, where chains hung against the wall, empty, though not for long.

As he expected as soon as he saw the chains, he was dragged over there and locked in them. They were far up on the wall, so his hands were held uncomfortably above his head. Once the guards had finished chaining him and he was situated in a somewhat tolerable position he began examining the room Rose had been thrust into once more.

It was large and square, with several large shipping crates stationed randomly around the room. It almost looked like a partially completed maze. Rose appeared to be examining the room as well, walking cautiously around each box.

The Master pressed a button on a control panel that had been built into the wall. "Rose Tyler," he said, and Rose jumped, looking wildly around the room until she saw the speakers installed just above the door she had come through. "As you can see, you have been put in a room filled with shipping crates, which must seem rather random. If you look up, you will find that a large claw has been installed in the roof." Rose looked up. "Ah, there, you see it. Now, we're going to play a little game. That claw, Miss Tyler, is going to be trying to catch you. You don't want it to catch you, because if it does I have our dear friend the Doctor up here and he will suffer for any behavior of yours I don't like. So, if you want to see your Doctor physically intact again, I suggest you run."

On the last word the Master said, he pressed a lever on the panel and the Doctor let out a cry as the claw sprang to life.

About six feet to Rose's left the claw came crashing down, hitting the metal floor with a bang. Rose was thrown to the ground, but as the claw rose from the ground so did she. Her feet slapped on the floor as she heard the claw's mechanics whir above her, as well as the Doctor's pleading over the speakers. It zoomed ahead of her and slammed down again, and she nearly tripped as she turned to go back around the other way. She ran around one of the large shipping crates, pressing herself into the side as the claw chased after her, hoping that it wouldn't able to reach her.

"Tsk tsk," the Master tutted over the speakers. "That's not very fair, now is it Miss Tyler? And here I thought you cared about your Doctor." She heard a faint buzz, which confused her for a moment. "You know what to do. I'll tell you when to stop."

She heard a metallic shick and then a cut off shout of pain. She sprang up and ran to see through the window.

The Toclafane's thin metal blades slid out of their compartments in the alien metal sphere and flew towards the Doctor. He eyed it warily for a split second before it flew forwards and sliced across his chest, ripping both his pinstriped suit and his flesh. He let out a cry of pain and shock before clamping his mouth shut. Rose hearing him scream would not help their situation any.

Rose saw the Toclafane dive, saw his skin tear, and was shocked into stillness, though not for long. The claw slammed down right beside her, sending her sprawling once more. She scrambled to her feet once more and continued to run. She could hear the Master's demented chuckles and the Doctor's poorly repressed cries through the speakers as the chase started up again.

"Run, run, run, as fast as you can, don't let me catch you, it pains the poor man!" The Master sang, and another of the Doctor's anguished groans followed his rhyme. So Rose kept running.

The Toclafane continued to dive at the Doctor, slicing at him again and again until his shirt and jacket were in tatters and stained with blood. His chest, back, sides, and arms were covered in deep, painful cuts that throbbed with every movement as he tried in vain to dodge the Toclafane's strikes.

"Faster…" the Master said in a sing-song voice. Out of the corner of his eye the Doctor saw Rose increase her pace. "That's more like it! Keep it up, or the Doctor will be hurt again."

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted, straining against his bonds until he was as close to the mic as he could get. "Rose, I'll be fine- _agh!"_ he gasped as the Toclafane took another swipe at him for his behavior. "Don't do anything drastic, Rose! I'll be fine, don't hurt yourself- _AAGH!"_

The end of his sentence was cut of by a scream as the Toclafane attacked his helpless form again. The Master shook his head condolingly. "Oh Doctor," he sighed, "When will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut?"

The Toclafane's blades sliced across the Doctor again and again, leaving deep red cuts criss-crossing across his chests. He was starting to get dizzy from loss of blood, and his legs buckled when the Toclafane slashed across the back of his knees, the chains around his wrists the only thing keeping him upright. Unwanted tears dripped down his face, and he closed his eyes in a failed attempt to stop them.

Rose's feet pounded the metal floor, moving as fast as she could, the Doctor's cries motivating her. Sometimes while she was running she could see the Doctor, chained up to the wall and being tortured by one of the Toclafane. Her heart broke when she saw him flinch as the metal sphere hovered around him, deciding where it would strike next.

Her breath was starting to come in ragged gasps, and her muscles burned with the effort of keeping up such a fast pace for so long. She could feel a presence in the back of her mind, urging her to keep running, though she really didn't need more encouragement. Just when she thought she wouldn't be able to run another five feet, a surge of power overtook her and she went into a full-out sprint. Rose didn't know where the sudden burst of strength came from, but she welcomed. As she rounded another corner, she grinned to herself. This other presence, whatever it was, was on her side.

The Doctor saw Rose's pace accelerate to an unbelievable speed, and for a moment he was confused. Rose was human, how could she possibly be running and maintaining that speed after already having been running full tilt and knocked down several times. His eyes were blurry with tears, but when he blinked them away to see Rose clearer he felt his hearts sink slightly.

In Rose's wake was the faintest trace of gold mist, gone as soon as it was there. The Master saw it too, and his manic grin was wider than normal. He threw a look at the Doctor, who stared after his Rose as she continued to run, strengthened by the Bad Wolf. He knew the Master would continue to push her until she was nothing but raw power, power that he could harness and use for his benefit.

"Master," the Doctor began, and the Toclafane hovering around him rose a little in the air in anticipation, ready to strike. The Master restrained it by raising a hand. The Doctor started again. "Master, please, just stop! You'll kill her!" His voice had a desperate edge to it that he could not keep out, no matter how hard he tried.

"So?" the Master questioned, enjoying how such a simple word could break the Doctor like it did. His eyes showed fear, pain, and desperation for a split second before he controlled his emotions once more.

"If you kill her, the Time Vortex won't have a host, and you won't be able to use it," the Doctor was clutching at straws, and both he and the Master knew it. They had a short staring match, the Master's wild eyes locked on the Doctor's pleading ones. Finally the Master spoke into the mic once more.

"You may stop running, Miss Tyler." Rose stopped as the claw drew back into the ceiling. She turned to the large window in the wall, and for a brief moment her eyes were solid gold, but it soon dissipated and they returned to their normal hazel.

Rose's eyes filled with tears as she saw the Doctor, her Doctor, covered in deep red cuts and bleeding over the metal grating floor. He was staring at the Master, but as she watched his gaze returned to the window.

His eyes were full of pain, but he gave her a small smile as she was led from the room and back to her chains. Even now, he was lying about his health to try and keep her sane when she could clearly see that he was hurt. But this, time, it wasn't going to help at all, because she was being torn apart.

Hours later, Rose sat against her wall, the chains clamped around her ankles once more. Her head rested on her knees and her arms were wrapped protectively around herself. Sobs wracked her body as she relived the Time War, every moment worse than the last.


	3. Chapter 3

"Now what to do with you," the Master mused to himself, his eyes roving the Doctor and making him feel uncomfortable. The Master continued to stare at the skinny man in his tattered and bloodied suit, chained to the wall with his hands above his head and brown eyes full of emotion. The Master walked forward and the Doctor struggled to stand, the wounds on his legs stinging horribly. He made eye contact, searching for something in his prisoner's eyes that he could not find.

"Can't you hear them?" the Master whispered, "The constant drumming, can't you hear it?" He reached out and tapped the Doctor's bleeding chest, making him wince with every beat. _Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap._ The Doctor looked back at his friend-turned-enemy by his madness.

"It's only you," he whispered, and a flash of desperation entered the Master's eyes. It was gone in a second, and he stood with a stony glare in place once more.

"Master, just listen," the Doctor pleaded. He knew there was probably no point that he would not listen, but he had to at least try. "I can help, that drumming in your, head I can help you with it. But the people of Earth, the human race, they don't deserve this! Please, can't you see-"he was silenced when the Master whirled around and backhanded him sharply across the face, snapping his head violently to the side.

"Leave him," he said to the hovering Toclafane, and the hellish sphere followed him out of the room. The Doctor sighed. Maybe he'd have some time to rest and heal his grievously injured body. He let his head roll forward to lay on his bloodied chest and let his eyes fall slowly closed.

_The entire world was a nightmare. Fires burned wherever she looked, smoke darkening the sky and nearly blocking out the twin suns .As it was, they shone blood red and cast the scene in violent light with shadows that the eyes could not penetrate. _

_All around were the screams of the dying, over and over and over as they were brought back to fight only to die again, countless times over. The Time Lords wreaked havoc wherever they went, bringing back soldiers to fight battles after they had been lost, using time travel to their ends and causing immeasurable pain as they did so. And throughout it all was the pounding of the drums of war._

_On and on they went, louder and louder and closer and closer and it's always there and its constant companion Death is here too… And the sky is throwing fire down on them, and the Daleks are above them, firing down soldier after soldier, the ultimate killing machine… And the suns, the suns must be going out, because it's getting darker. Perhaps they are tired of throwing light on this blood-stained planet, and she can't blame them._

Rose woke up with a gasp, tears streaming down her face, and she pulled her knees close to her chest and buried her head in her arms. Her whole body shook as she was assaulted by memory after bloody, war-stained memory. The Master squatted in front of her, wrapping a lock of blond hair around his finger and examining her slowly breaking soul.

"Can you hear them yet?" he murmured, observing the way her hair glinted in the dim light of the hallway. "Can you hear the drums, Rose?"

There was a quiet moment where all that could be heard were Rose's shaky breaths. Although he could not see it, her brow furrowed, because she _could _hear something, barely audible but there nonetheless. As she concentrated on it, the sound grew louder and louder and louder still until her head was filled with a rush of noise. Drums, the call to war, insistent and demanding.

With a cry of horror she clapped her hands over her ears. Her own voice broke through the drumming and soon it was nearly gone again, just a light tapping in the back of her mind. The Master grinned wildly at her reaction and stood up.

"Follow me," he ordered the guard, "and bring her with you." He walked down the hallway and the guard followed, taking Rose by the arm and bringing her with him.

Rose didn't pay any attention to where they were going, and she couldn't have even if she wanted to. The pounding drums in her ears were consistent and demanded her attention with every step, threatening to overwhelm her if she didn't suppress them.

She felt a presence brushing her mind and flinched both physically and mentally. The Master had already made her wary of all telepathic things in the short time she had been his captive, and she was extremely jumpy most of the time.

The presence felt her jump and immediately sent soothing, comforting thoughts to her, warm memories that it treasured. The presence itself was in pain, and didn't want Rose to be afraid. It would help her if it could, though it didn't know if it would make much of a difference.

After recovering from her initial fear of her mind brushing another, Rose realized that it didn't seem all that unfamiliar. The presence hummed in her mind soothingly, and she relaxed ever so slightly. Maybe this wasn't going to hurt her; maybe her mind was safe for now, maybe, maybe, maybe…

The guard holding her arm came to a stop, as did Rose. She had been looking at her feet the entire time, but now she looked up. She saw the back of the Master, and he was turning around to face her, but past him she could see the TARDIS.

Rose let her gaze wander over the familiar blue box, a wistful light in her eye. Oh, how she had missed it, traveling all of time and space inside her, having her and the Doctor's life saved by it many times. It had been a friend, now she realized, not just the Doctor's brilliant machine, but a friend that she had missed with all her heart as well as the Doctor.

Rose felt the humming again in her mind, felt the contentment of the TARDIS at her return, but something seemed wrong…

Before she could figure out what it was, the Master began to speak. "I'm sure you'll be sorry to hear that I have to go away for a while," he said, a mock sad expression on his face. "Being ruler of the world means that some traveling is necessary, I'm afraid. Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering why I've brought you here." She was, but she made no move to answer him. The Master turned to the TARDIS and opened his arms grandly. "_This _is where you'll be staying while I'm gone! Let's go in, shall we?" he pushed open the doors and stepped inside, Rose and the guard following.

Rose gasped and clutched her head. The TARDIS console had been mutilated, wires running up and down the entire structure. It was surrounded by ugly black grating from floor to ceiling, and the usual calm blue-green light was replaced with blood red. It lit the rest of the room dimly, black and red shadows highlighting every column, wire, and tool that lay on the floor. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Inside her head, Rose could feel the TARDIS' pain. A low bell rang in her ears, and she could hear the cries of the people below, magnified a hundred times in her head as they were mercilessly killed by the Toclafane. Every death caused the TARDIS immeasurable pain on top of a continuous mental strain from keeping the future in the same time and place as the past. Rose could feel everything; hear everything, and terrible images from below flashed across her vision. She could feel the pain and fear and confusion of every single person below, could feel the untamed rage that was not her own build up inside her…

Rose felt a force inside her head push out the horrifying sensations, and she had a brief moment of peace before her mind was overtaken once more by an uncontrollable fury. Her hands fell from her head to rest by her sides, fingernails digging into her palms and leaving crescent marks. She lifted her head, and her eyes were glowing pure gold. Her whole body shook with rage, and the faintest trace of gold mist outlined her frame. She took a threatening step forwards, and the Master stepped back a little, fear and triumph shining in his eyes.

"You've mutilated her," Rose spoke, but the voice was not her own. It was impossibly old and full of ethereal power. "And you will pay the price. A TARDIS is worth ten of you, and you have harmed one in a way that cannot be forgiven." She lifted her hand, turning it over and watching the gold tendrils swirl around it. "I have power, power you can only dream of; I could tear you apart with a single thought, I could cause you unbearable agony without a blink of my eye, I could send you further into the depths of insanity than you could ever believe; your drums of war would seem as a game compared to the mental torture I could put you through."

The Master nodded at the guard behind her, who reluctantly made to lift his gun when it disappeared, leaving nothing a faint golden outline where it had been. A small smile twitched the Master's lips, but it was so fleeting that it could have been imagined.

"Worthless," Rose breathed, clenching a fist in front of her and the tautened muscles. "Your weapons can do nothing against me, Time Lord. You have no idea what you're messing with."

"That is somewhat true," the Master acknowledged, and Rose's eyes narrowed until they were golden slivers. He shrugged at her, examining the nails of one hand as he coolly explained. "You inhabit a human; you have your limits in that form and I know what they are. I know what a human mind can take."

He suddenly launched a savage mental attack on the human portion of her brain, hidden behind a thick curtain of gold, blue, and red timelines. He filled it with the sound of his drums, pounding louder and louder and louder until the human part of her mind snapped.

Jack drifted in and out of unconsciousness, hanging limply in his chains as his body tried to recuperate from the massive beatings he had already received at the hands of the Master. His knees were bent so that they almost touched the ground, the manacles on his wrists digging into his flesh and causing blood to trickle slowly down his arm. His head rested on his chest and he was taking deep, even breaths to try and come to terms with the pains wracking his body.

The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway reached his ears, the noise seeming loud and impossibly quiet at turns as he faded in and out of this world. He forced his eyes open a crack in order to see who it was.

Jack's vision was blurry, and at first he couldn't tell what he was seeing at all. Images after image slurred into each other, becoming nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. He blinked several times, and shook his head slightly, afterwards wincing at the agony his actions brought him. When he could see a little clearer, he looked up again.

By the time he could see, however, almost everyone had passed him by. The only thing he was able to distinguish was a pair of black army boots being dragged along behind everyone else. Hopefully it wasn't anyone he knew, and if it wasn't…

They probably deserved it.

That was Jack's final vehement thought before he drifted once again into the arms of death. -

The Doctor wad rudely awoken from his much-needed rest by a pail of icy water dumped over his head. He awoke with a gasp and a shudder, groaning quietly. There must have been something else in the water because when it hit his wounds they began to sting horribly. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out and raised his head to look at his tormentor.

"Hello," the Master said, holding a now empty bucket in one hand and waving cheerily at him with the other. "Hope you had a good rest, terribly sorry to disturb it by the way, but I just had to share my most recent achievement with you." He turned and called over his shoulder. "Bring her in, boys!"

Before he had even seen what they were bringing in the Doctor felt his hearts sink into his chest. Whatever it was, it was meant to cause him pain, and the Master was good at making him feel so much more, mentally as well as physically.

There was the sound of soldier's feet in the hallway, and the Master turned back to face his captive with a sadistic grin. His eyes had a triumphant, merciless fire in them, burning away at any shred of sanity left in him. He was high off of his immense power, and he would not come down without a fight. And the only one who could possibly fight him successfully was the Doctor.

Two guards appeared at the door, holding Rose up by the arms in between them. Her head was slumped on her chest, and her eyes were closed. The Doctor's lips moved soundlessly for a moment, his eyes fixed on her motionless figure, and then he cleared his throat and tried again.

"Rose?" his voice was quiet and shaky, and Rose didn't respond. "Rose," he called again, his voice a little firmer. Still no response. The Doctor let his eyes fall closed, controlling his fear that she had been damaged beyond repair. There was silence for a few minutes before he spoke again. "What did you do to her?" he asked quietly.

"I really don't know," the Master shrugged. "She was overwhelmed by the drums, and this is the result. I thought I'd let you see her wake up when I did." He strode over to where she was held and lifted her chin with one hand. "Let's see what I've created, shall we?"

A/N: Ugh, sorry that took longer than usual, and sorry it's shorter than what I usually do! I'm updating this right before school, and some of it I've just written, so I'm REALLY sorry if some of it's crappy! Please review, I'd love to hear your opinion!


	4. Chapter 4

Jack awoke with a gasp as he was awoken with a harsh slap from the welcome rest he'd been having. His blue eyes snapped open to see the seemingly ever-cheerful face of the Master.

"Hello freak!" he said happily. "I'm sure you've missed me while I was away?"

"Far from it," Jack replied, "I was starting to believe I'd actually never see your ugly mug again. Way to kill a dream."

The Master stuck out his lower lip in a mock pout, shaking his head at Jack's reply. "When you say things like that it makes me feel very angry, Jack," his voice started out almost sad, but on the last three words it was decidedly cruel. Jack gave him a disarming smile and shrugged amiably.

"Sorry to hear that," he said. "Isn't there people you can see to deal with your anger?"

"Not anymore, there isn't, I'm afraid they're all either dead or cowering in fear at the moment. But seeing as I'm here now…" he moved around so that he was standing behind Jack's restrained figure. Jack heard him pick something up and tried to brace himself for the blow that would undoubtedly fall upon him soon. He couldn't help but wonder if the Master would kill him with a single blow, possibly repeatedly, or if he would draw it out until Jack could no longer think past the pain.

He flinched when he felt something make contact with his wrist, the hairs on the back of his neck rising as whatever it was traced a path along his arms, then down his sides, the Master humming softly as he made his way around Jack's body.

"I wonder," he mused, running a long pipe that he had picked up from the ground in a zigzag pattern across his victim's back, "have you ever heard the pounding of the drums of war, Jack? I would guess you would, after having lived for so long, but one never knows." He didn't wait for Jack to respond. "It's quite thrilling when you're in the moment, but having it repeated over and over and over… it's constant noise filling your ears with the rush of _noise_-"

He emphasized the word with a cruel blow to Jack's scapula, and Jack let out a gasp before biting his lip so hard he began to bleed in order to hold back a scream. There was a sickening crunch as the Master laid another blow across his ribs, breaking at least three, and a half groan, half growl escaped his victim. He grinned maniacally, and began hitting him in earnest, beating out the drumbeat ingrained in his head.

The sounds of metal hitting flesh echoed down the corridor, along with Jack's eventual screams of pain. Finally the Master, done tormenting him for a short while, moved to stand in front of him. Jack's eyes were closed; his bottom lip was torn and bleeding, and the rest of his body was a mess of protruding bone and blood. To all appearances he was dead, but when the Master jerked his chin up with a scraped hand his eyelids fluttered. The Master smirked.

"Nighty night," he whispered, then dropped his chin and took a step back. He swung the pipe back one final time and landed a crushing blow on Jack's skull. Jack's figure slumped even more, if possible, and the last spark of life left him.

The Master dropped the pipe to the grated floor and walked away, the smears of Jack's blood gleaming ruby in the artificial light as he did so.

Jack awoke with a cough and a choking gasp, wincing at the phantom pains from his last death. He had known he needed to come with a plan to fix this, but now he had all the more incentive too. If this was what the deranged Time Lord was doing to him, who knew what the Doctor and rose were suffering?

_A/N: OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I AM SO SORRY I'M SUCH A TERRIBLE PERSON FOR NOT UPDATING IN FOREVER AND GIVING YOU A LOUSY CHAPTER I DESERVE TO BE BURNED AT THE STAKE FOR THIS _


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